The United Nations has taken a sharp public swipe at Haiti's gang crisis, adding three groups — Gran Grif, Krazé Baryé and 400 Mawozo — to the annexes of its annual list of parties responsible for grave violations against children. The move comes as U.N.-verified data show a steep rise in the recruitment, killing, maiming and abduction of children across the country in 2025. Humanitarian groups say the listings are meant to crank up international pressure for accountability and better child protection on the ground.
What the U.N. Report Found
According to a new report from the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, published by the United Nations, officials verified 2,088 grave violations against 1,661 children in 2025. The cases include recruitment, killing, maiming, abduction and sexual violence.
Investigators documented 892 children recruited and used, many pushed into combat or support roles, and recorded dozens of child deaths tied to drone strikes and clashes. In the annexes to the report, Gran Grif, Krazé Baryé and 400 Mawozo now appear among the parties held responsible for these abuses.
Three Gangs Added To The Annex
The annex now formally lists Gran Grif, Krazé Baryé and 400 Mawozo, as reported by the Miami Herald. They join earlier entries such as the Viv Ansanm coalition, widening the roster of Haitian actors flagged for recruiting and abusing children.
On paper, it may look like a dry bureaucratic update. In practice, aid organizations say, the additions are meant to open doors for closer monitoring, negotiated action plans and increased funding for child protection across Haiti's sprawling gang networks.
Where the Gangs Operate
Analysts say the three groups carve up very different parts of the country. Gran Grif has been linked to violent operations in the Artibonite heartland, while Krazé Baryé and 400 Mawozo operate on the eastern outskirts of metropolitan Port-au-Prince. That mix puts pressure on both rural and urban communities.
The Security Council Report notes that territorial contests involving these gangs have driven clashes over strategic corridors such as the Cul-de-Sac plain. Those fights have snarled humanitarian access and made already fragile child-protection work even harder.
Displacement and the Child Toll
Displacement data from the International Organization for Migration show roughly 5,840 people forced from their homes after attacks on the night of July 4 to 5 in Kenscoff communities, stretching the capacity of host families and emergency sites.
The U.N. report also verifies hundreds of children recruited and dozens killed or maimed in 2025, and documents 24 child deaths linked to drone strikes, underscoring the scale of harm. Child-protection workers warn that trauma, interrupted schooling and scarce reintegration services will make recovery slow and costly for many young survivors.
What Being Listed Means
Being listed in the Secretary-General's annex is meant to be more than a diplomatic slap on the wrist. It is a formal accountability step that can lead to negotiated action plans, sustained monitoring and, in some cases, targeted measures by states, according to the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict.
The Security Council and member states can use listings to demand child-protection safeguards from security actors and to press for the safe handover of children from armed groups. Advocates caution that the naming-and-shaming only matters if it is backed by funding and operational support for the people trying to keep children safe.
What Comes Next
U.N. officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres, have urged the immediate end to child recruitment and greater humanitarian access, and they have welcomed Haiti's 2024 handover protocol and the PREJEUNES program for released children. As reported by the Miami Herald, PREJEUNES provided specialized protection services to 573 children in 2025, though agencies say the overall response still falls short.
For now, donors and U.N. agencies are watching to see whether the new listings translate into concrete steps on the ground in the coming months, or whether Haiti's children will remain caught in the crosshairs of a grinding gang war.
